This invention relates to an apparatus for playing a card game and particularly but not exclusively the card game of Cribbage.
Cribbage is a very well known game that has been widely played in many countries for very many years and is based upon a conventional pack of cards of the type including four suits with thirteen cards in each suit from the Ace through to the King.
The game is based upon complex rules and calculations based upon the presence of various patterns in the cards dealt to each player.
For the convenience of the reader, the following information which is of course public knowlege is provided concerning the details of the game of Cribbage.
Cribbage is one of the oldest card games in existence today. The board used for scoring in cribbage was evidently adapted from earlier dice-game scoreboards and the rules of the play seem to owe much to an old English game called "Noddy". The invention of cribbage has been popularly accredited to the english poet and courtier Sir John Suckling, who lived from 1609 to 1642. Early english settlers brought cribbage to America, where its popularity still endures, especially in New England. Modern six-card cribbage is basically a two handed game, but it can also be played three-handed and four-handed, partnership style, Played either with or without stakes, two handed cribbage is a fast, absorbing game.
1. The players and the cards. Two players, using a standard 52 card deck. Ace is low (1 point), King is high. Picture cards and tens are worth 10 points, the other cards retain their face value.
2. The deal. Each player cuts the deck. Low draw deals six-card hands, one at a time. The remaining cards go face down as a stock, which is placed next to the scoring board.
3. The crib. After the cards have been dealt, each player selects two cards from his hand and places them face down to the dealer's right. These four cards are known as the crib and form an extra hand that belongs to the dealer but is not used while the hand is played. At the end of the hand, the crib is added to the dealer's score.
4. The board. Score is kept on a special cribbage board. There are four rows of 30 holes, two rows for each player, and usually there are additional game holes at one or both ends of the board. Each player has two pegs (each pair of a different color, usually black for one player and red for the other) and each player moves his pegs up the outer row and down the inner on his side of the board. When there are four game holes, the players put their pegs in them for the start of the play. To mark his first score, the player moves one peg that number of holes from the start.
His second score is marked by placing his second peg that number of holes beyond his first peg. He marks his third score by placing his first peg that number of holes beyond his second peg, and so on.
5. Object of the game. The objective is to score 121 points.
6. Scoring during play. Before cribbage can be played seriously and enjoyably, the players must be aware of the scoring during play, as the credits to be accumulated are the basis of all strategy and tactics.
7. The play. Nondealer cuts the stock and dealer picks up the top card of the lower part of the deck. Nondealer puts the top half of the stock back and dealer places the card face up on top of stock. This is the starter and will be used at the end of the hand, when both players tally their scores. Nondealer chooses one of the four cards in his hand, places it face up on the table directly in front of him and calls its value. Dealer now also lays down a card and calls out the total value of his card plus his opponent's. (On all subsequent plays, the total value of the card played is called out) On this play, dealer tries either to match his opponent's card and make a pair or to add to it so that the total is 15. (If he succeeds, he advances his peg two holes for two points) The nondealer, in his turn, now attempts to build on the cards already played. Besides trying for a 15 or a pair, each player can now try for other combinations. For example, if a pair was scored and the next player is able to lay down a third card of the same rank, he will score for a royal pair, etc.
A sequence of cards scores regardless of the order in which it is played. Thus, if cards are played in the order Ace, 2, 5,4,3 the player putting out the 3 can count a run of five cards. Should the second player be able to lay down a 6, he can count a run of six cards, etc..
The players continue to lay down cards in turn as long as the total value of the cards does not exceed 31. If a player at his turn is unable to play a card that is within the limit of 31, he says "Go". His opponent then plays any of his cards that are low enough to be within the limit. If they make 31 he scores two points, if less than 31 he scores one point and also says "Go". When the count during play reaches 31, the cards are turned face down to prevent confusion. The remaining cards in hand are played, the called score starting with the next card. Play continues until all the cards are played or until another 31 limit is reached. The player discarding the last card in the hand wins a point, or two points if he is able to score 31 with the last card.
8. Scoring in showing. In cribbage, the melds are scored after the play of the hand. That is, all the cards in a player's hand are tallied for the scoring combinations possible. (This score is then added to whatever is already pegged on the board.) In scoring, the starter is considered the fifth card in each hand. There are slight variations in scoring double, triple and quadruple runs, depending on where the game is played. This method is the one most commonly used in the USA.
Nondealer shows and scores first, which gives him an advantage if he is very near reaching 121. Each score should be announced by name and points so the opponent can verify it.
After the nondealer has declared his score, the dealer shows and scores his own hand. The crib is scored in the same way as the hands, except that the only flush allowed is a five-card one. The deal alternates between the players from hand to hand. After each hand, the cards are shuffled. The loser of a game deals first in the next game.
Cribbage therefore has the advantage that it can be played very simply by two players with the simple equipment of a board and a pack of cards. It gives endless pleasure to many persons.
It does however have a number of disadvantages. Firstly the game requires the players to calculate and enter the scores obtained during play and during melding. Many players have difficulty with calculating their score and make errors or omissions so that this aspect can in some cases be considered to be a tedious chore involved in the game.
Secondly the game cannot be played by a single person.
Thirdly the rather old fashioned scoring system of a board and peg is unwieldy and often leads to damaged or lost pegs.
Attempts have been made to develop electronic scoring systems in which the pegging is avoided but this simply involves an arrangement in which the players must enter their score into a keyboard on the scoring device so that the scoring device simply translates the score into the conventional pegging system. This does not of course obviate the necessity for calculating the score.
Computer programs have been generated for playing cribbage against the computer in which the computer can be used to calculate the scores. However these programs are basically useful only for persons interested in computers since the program uses the conventional computer keyboard and input systems. Interest in computers is limited to only a relatively small segment of society and often not the same people who are interested in playing cribbage.